Difference Between Chinese and Vietnamese

There is a plethora of differences between a Chinese person and a Vietnamese person. The answer in discerning the two depends on what aspect you try to look at. For example, if you concentrate on distinguishing the Chinese and Vietnamese’ physical attributes, then you will stumble upon a few. Similarly, when you focus on the Chinese or Vietnamese language and culture, you’ll also find many key differences.

With regards to physical appearance, the Vietnamese are not very different from the Chinese. Both being Asians, these two races share each other’s looks. Nevertheless, Vietnamese people are often seen to have broader noses. They also have a smaller body frame than the Chinese. They are quite short people, bearing a darker complexion and fuller eyes, as they are those who live in Southeast Asia.

Conversely, Chinese people appear taller than most Asians. Their body build typically ranges from small to average. Because China is a very large country, there are diverse cultural differences and alterations in physique that slightly vary from one Chinese region to another. For example, the Chinese natives of the South are usually shorter when compared to those from the North. They also have bigger eyes, or are quite darker in complexion. Because of such, they resemble the characteristics of most Southeast Asian inhabitants.

In terms of language, the Chinese has a very complicated series of languages compared to those of the Vietnamese. From the pronunciation and notations up to the writing of the Chinese characters, the Chinese language is quite formidable. As mentioned, because of the cultural differences and the geographical vastness of China, there were many dialects used and developed by the Chinese people up to this time. Some of the most spoken Chinese languages are the following: Mandarin, Wu, Cantonese and Min, among others. Even with the varied dialects used in the country, the Chinese don’t find it difficult to understand each other, most especially if you are a native of the land. It is because their languages, although different, share the same natural root, and are mutually intelligible. This means that each native can readily understand another person speaking a different Chinese dialect without any form of formal education at all.

The Vietnamese people, on the other hand, use their sole national and main language, also termed Vietnamese.

In summary:

1. The Chinese people are those who reside in China (mainland) or Taiwan (Republic of China), whereas Vietnamese is the term used to describe the people who are native inhabitants of Vietnam.

2. The Chinese people make use of a more complex set of dialects when compared to the Vietnamese dialect.

3. Chinese people are usually taller, and have a small to average body build compared to the shorter height, wider nose, bigger eyes and darker skin tone of the Vietnamese people.

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You are so stupid you pretty much just contradicted yourself, if you just hate on the Vietnamese, why are you still saying you like mixed? Also the chinese are ugly, all they do is math and they all look like geeks in America and everyone hates on them because they all look like shit. Lastly the chinese are thefts.

i dont think the Vietnamese are all that peaceful, especially now since Viet nam has decided to militarily challenge China on behalf of their american masters. looking back, you also saw Viet nam invade Cambodia. And there is a Vietnamese gang in america who calls themselves “born to kill”. also, i believe theres alot of similarities between Vietnamese, and cantonese people, as China and Viet nam used to be one country. if you listen to cantonese and Vietnamese, the two sound similar. Viet nam also wrote in Chinese for 1000yrs. it was only in the past 200yrs that they stopped after being invaded by france. ive also noticed Viets to have whiter skin than cantonese for example.

You are correct on some points, but also very wrong in many areas. You cant say it is the same if you don’t know anything about either one of the languages; the Vietnamese were taken over by the French, so their writing is similar to the French and aspects of some ways they speak are also similar. Overall the Vietnamese are very different from the Chinese culturally and they way they speak.

Vietnam saved the entire country of Cambodia from genocide from the Khmer Rouge (who were supported by China with weapons and logistics). 1/3 of Cambodia’s population were killed thanks to China. Vietnam save them and defeated China’s aggression in Northern Vietnam simultaneously even when the odds were astronomically against Vietnam.

The Vietnamese gangs you’re talking about are not purely Vietnamese. They are actually ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. They were giving the Vietnamese community a bad name because the media reported that they were “Vietnamese immigrant” gangs. This is not entirely true because they were actually ethnic Chinese immigrants from Vietnam committing crimes. That is why most Vietnamese separate themselves from ethnic Chinese from Vietnam. We are shameful to associate ourselves with them.

Vietnamese people are very peaceful, prideful, and respectful of others but if you ever fuck with us, regardless of how big and strong you think you are, you will succumb to defeat in the end as we have proven time and again through history.

I agree with you in some point. I know some Vietnamese (pure one and mixed one or Vietnamese born Chinese) and they kinda act differently. The pure Vietnamese usually very polite and they have manner but those Chinese vietnamese usually very hypocrite especially the girls. I was friend with one Chinese viet girl before until she started to like my bf. When I came back to my country for a month she started to talk shit about me behind my back and seduced him tho she had a bf too ATM. Me and my bf then broke up and I found out that she’s the bitch one. She even asked my bf to come to her room and she did The same thing to other guys too (she has a bf and her bf was in Vietnam so they both were on long distance). If you happen to see her you won’t believe that she’s a bitch. She dresses so innocent and talk like a stupid girl so most people will think she’s just very innocent. It’s not the first time tho. After that my bestie told me that she was housemating with Chinese viet girl and every single night this girl would bring many foreigner guys for party and she was the only girl there and God knows what did they do right after party. I don’t wanna judge but all Chinese viet I know are very obsessed with foreigners too. They usually dress very innocent but you don’t know what would they do behind you. Most of the girls in my workplace were not surprise when I told them about my bf and this girl they always said oh viet girl ? No wonder.
Eventho I know most pure viet are very nice girls and they usually date only viet but because of this other etchic in viet act so bitchy many people start to stereotype that all viet girls are bad.

It is true, generally speaking most Viet have larger eyes than Chinese in certain region. Pertaining to look, if you like short, dark, broader noses is considered good looking, then Viet is the one for you. I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Guess monkeys have the right to think they are good looking too.

Now, pertaining peace loving people. Le loc attitudes and how Viet Com behead many of the South Vietmanese would explain everything.

Most of the time if you see a round flat face with small eyes, especially if it is slanted that’s Chinese.
If you see a bony face, rounder eyes, most likely that’s Viet. Viet nose is broader but also taller than Chinese. The nose bridge between the eyes is also more pronounce on Viet.

You are racist as fuck. My family are pure Vietnamese, and let me tell you, on my mom’s side of the family, they’re on the pale side. My mom naturally has skin paler than any white person. My oldest aunt is on the tall side. My cousins (also pure Vietnamese because both their parents are Vietnamese) are tall (one of them is 5’10 because her dad is tall) and pale and good looking. So you can cut it out with the “all pure Vietnamese are dark and ugly” crap.

I am a Vietnamese person. i think we have difference in characteristic and we are made differently so just accept the facts. Chinese people wanted to fight all the times but Vietnamese have more peaceful mind.

same with vietnamese dialects. While most people think that modern vietnamese (and its many accents) is the only language in vietnam, they are wrong. vietnam has dialects just like china, although most are not nearly as widespread as the once were; nowadays modern vietnamese is the supreme dialect that has surpassed all the others.

also, chinese dialects are not as starkly different as you think. while it is not possible to understand a person who speaks a different chinese dialect, there are many similarities that can help you understand bits and pieces. all chinese dialects have at least some strong similarities to mandarin.

source: (i’m half viet half chinese, and have lived in both countries)

Most of these comments make me want to gag. Are you guys hearing yourselves? Please, don’t stereotype or use racial slurs. It’s not good for the mind, and it makes you look like a shallow pig and makes you no better than whoever you’re hating on. There are good and bad people from every nationality, and in the end, we’re all still of the same species. I shouldn’t be having to say this, because you’d think that some have common sense, but apparently not

No, the haters are the ones who are fucked up. You can tell how insecure hey are by their comments. If the Chinese truly love themselves, they would not hate on others. Go to China and you will know what I am talking about. Vietnam is a beautiful country with people beautiful people.

Uhh all of Asia is mixed with something there is no pure so thing as pure Vietnam or China. As far as Southeast Asia goes the mix or blend is more uniformed. Parts of Vietnam are going to resemble Cambodians due to immigration of Cambodians to Vietnam. Lot of Vietnamese are going to have Chinese ancestry due to 1000s of years of history between China, similar to the cultural exchange between Korea-China, Japan-China. The only reason there’s so much hate and pride of distinction is because political and government difference. Ever since the US involvement of Asia a lot of Asian nations once respected and revered China, no longer. So this is the ugly modern truth in Asia you either back China or USA as a super power and you are against the other. Any Vietnamsee who have an ignorant hate towards China and Vice Versa don’t know their history and are sheeps.

Pure Vietnamese are light skin with a soft olive tan, have large eyes, high nose bridge, and are very beautiful. I went to China thinking Chinese people were attractive (from Chinese movies) and I was very disappointed. 98% of them were butt ugly, dirty, smelly, rude, has fvcked up teeth, and are stupid. I witnessed 2 incidents of public defecation and felt disgusted when I was in China.

Vietnamese from the Vietnam War or early post-war generation are smaller than current generation Vietnamese due to a lack nutrition and stress from war. Vietnamese raised in the US and current generation Vietnamese from Vietnam are tall, have very beautiful features, and are extremely intelligent. Vietnamese have the genotype for beauty and intelligence. We need the right environment (social, economical, nutritional, etc.) for the physical manifestation of our genotype to fully be expressed. The ugly non-pure Vietnamese with chinky eyes, large monkey nostrils, and strewed up teeth are most likely mixed with Chinese or Cambodian. You will see these features in them if you go to China or Cambodia (trust me on this if you’re in China). I always feel ashamed when white people ask if I am Chinese even though I don’t have chinky Chinese features. Sometime it pisses me off because I am proud and love being Vietnamese.

You can differentiate the Chinese from Vietnamese easily. If you’re ever in Saigon, go to district 5 (Chinatown/Cho Lon) and you’ll know what I am talking about when it comes to ugly Chinese features.

It’s the Vietnamese genes that make a mixed Chinese/Vietnamese person attractive, not the Chinese genes. This is why Asians from other countries go to Vietnam to find wives.

China’s culture was enriched by the Vietnamese when it ruled Vietnam for over 900 years. China’s Peking Citadel and the entire Forbidden City of Beijing was overseen and designed by a Vietnamese. His name was Nguyễn An (Juan An in Chinese). Before being shipped to China, Nguyễn An was a talented official under the rule of the Trần Dynasty. However, he was later taken by the Ming Dynasty and brought back to China as a gift from the illegitimate Hồ Dynasty. From then on, he would be known in Chinese history as Juan An, a eunuch of the Ming’s imperial court.

Nguyen An or referred to as Juan An by the Chinese was a genius designer and architecture. He was a master of the use of hydraulics that also contributed to the building of the Great Wall of China. The fact that Juan An (Nguyễn An) was a Vietnamese person had been obscured in Chinese history for centuries.

Chinese should research their history with Vietnam and know our great contribution to the Chinese culture. If anything, one can argue that the Vietnamese contributed more to Chinese culture than Chinese had to contribute to Vietnamese culture.

(Source: Mote, Frederick W. & Denis Twitchett. The Cambridge History of China, Volume 7, Part 1. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1988.)

It’s both amusing and yet disheartening to see the animosity between the two cultures/ethnic groups. One can definitely see each responder’s biases in the posts. I, for one, have had many, many years living with people from both cultures. I see differences as well as similarities. In order to account the differences, you must also account socio-economic differences within the cultural differences. Physically, they are different. I agree with the author when they said (in general), that the skin tones of the VN are darker. That is partially due to the climate, I think. The VN that I’ve encountered do have a higher cheek bone, square-ish shaped face with larger, deep set eyes. Physically, the features of the Chinese vary considerably. I have Northern Chinese friends who are over 5′ 10″ with darker skin tone and HK friends who are 5′ 3″ with lighter skin and other HK friends who are 5’10” with dark skin. I know someone who has uncles from both regions. The Chinese one doesn’t trust the VN, the VN thinks that the Chinese one “looks down” on the VN. Sadly, it is very obvious that the two cultures have had a long history of discontentment with each other that is not going away soon. Both of them are wonderful in their own ways. We come with nothing, we leave with nothing.

I love the Vietnamese and lived in Vietnam for a long time and married to a Vietnamese woman and have beautiful Vietnamese in-laws. Have traveled to China many times I do find the Vietnamese nice or overall. Some of what the writer said is really not true such as the color of the skin there are many different groups of Vietnamese ethnic people to 86% mean the Viet Kihn unless they are out in the sun like a lot of the hard-working men they are very light skinned people in fact the women go out of their way to make sure the sun doesn’t shine on them they dress up like an Eskimo in August in Ho Chi Minh City

lol all I see are people throwing untrue insults at either vietnamese or chinese. what is with all the hate? both nationalities are extremely intriguing and beautiful (this is coming from someone who is half chinese half vietnamese, so i have plenty of experience with both cultures…. to anyone who isn’t chinese or vietnamese and is making assumptions about either one, i can tell you right now you sound incredibly ignorant and disrespectful. even if you are chinese making assumptions about vietnamese or vietnamese making assumptions about chinese, you should stop—you’re embarrassing yourselves). even the article itself is untrue…. making categorizations on viet and chinese people based on their looks is a laughable act of unintended racism, in my opinion. within both countries there are hundreds of different asian ethnicities; there is no way to effectively categorize them based on facial features, height, etc. of course there might be patterns that are more common in one country more than the other, but come on let’s not refer to them as if they are animals here. i’ve met plenty of vietnamese people who are way taller than the average chinese person and plenty of chinese people with way broader noses than any vietnamese person i’ve seen. and also chinese people with larger eyes than vietnamese people. those kinds of categorizations are just straight up untrue.
both cultures are rich and full of history as well. just because the two cultures are very similar, vietnamese people are not east asian wannabes. while they are considered south east asian in terms of ethnicity, you have to understand their culture was influenced by other east asian countries. vietnam is an east asian country by culture. by geography, they’re southeast asian. it’s childish to think that both their culture and geography HAVE to line up. it makes them unique, and in my opinion one of the most interesting countries on earth (also, if other SEAs are giving the vietnamese issues for being “east asian wannabes,” why isn’t anyone giving the thai, cambodian, and laotians issues for being “south asian/indian wannabes”? or the indonesians “middle eastern wannabes”? all cultures are influenced by other cultures, so why is vietnam the only country being called out for it? makes me think that the SEAs who are saying these things just secretly want to be vietnamese haha :P)
also i’ve read many comments about the chinese language vs the vietnamese language. as someone who speaks various dialects from both china and vietnam, i can say almost all comments comparing the two countries’ languages are false assumptions. no, chinese is not more complex than vietnamese. in fact i’d say the standard Hanoi vietnamese is much more complex than the standard Mandarin chinese. that being said, i do believe that the Cantonese dialect in china is the most complex language between both countries.
no, modern vietnamese is NOT the only language in vietnam. there are maaaaaannny other languages spoken (or used to be spoken) that are closely related, just like the many languages/dialects in china. also, the accents that appear in modern spoken vietnamese are different enough to be considered as separate dialects as well, in my opinion. although, even if others don’t agree, there are still other vietnamese dialects that cannot be understood from one to the next; just like the chinese dialects, vietnamese dialects are not mutually intelligible either. it just so happens that in vietnam, the modern vietnamese language is by far the most common dialect while the other dialects are not nearly as widespread as they once were.

this is just the beginning. i could go on and on about the differences, and go on and on refuting the terrible things people have been saying about both countries. trust me, like i said i am half chinese half vietnamese and have plenty of experience with both cultures, and have lived in both countries for many years throughout my life.

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Written by : Julita.
and updated on February 20, 2011

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